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Detroit – Oct. 22, 2014 – A consortium of Marygrove College, University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne County Community College District and Wayne State University has been awarded $21.2 million over five years by the National Institutes of Health to implement a program encouraging more undergraduate students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in biomedical research.

The grant was awarded through the NIH’s Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative, created to get more minority and economically disadvantaged students in the STEM pipeline, expose students to research in laboratories and enhance the research-training environment. Studies have shown students from underrepresented backgrounds enter early biomedical research training in numbers that reflect the general population, but they are less likely to persist.

The Detroit consortium’s project is called REBUILD Detroit — an acronym for Research Enhancement for Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity. During the first year of the grant, the four partner institutions will redesign their curriculum with an emphasis on peer mentoring, early introduction to laboratory research and dedicated faculty advising. The program will recruit its first cohort of students in the second year and begin their training.

In order to shift the paradigm of minorities in biomedical research, REBUILD Detroit’s goals are aggressive: To have at least 75 percent of its scholars graduate with baccalaureate degrees in biomedical science-related fields a nd have 50 percent of those graduates matriculate into biomedical research doctoral programs.

To recruit as broad and diverse of a group of students and offer them research training and mentorship activities in a variety of disciplines, the different but complementary Detroit institutions decided to collaborate. Combined, the four colleges and universities enroll more than 47,000 undergraduates, of whom more than 50 percent of whom are underrepresented minorities and/or qualify for federal financial aid.

University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) is the grant’s primary institution responsible for managing the grant. UDM faculty will provide research opportunities and mentorship for program undergraduates.

“The NIH-funded REBUILD Detroit consortium will contribute significantly to the achievement of the nation's goal of annually producing 34 percent more undergraduate students with biomedical degrees over the next 10 years,” said Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi, president of University of Detroit Mercy. "Our four institutions are uniquely qualified to address this major challenge because of our biomedical programs and the expertise of our faculty in those fields.

"Marygrove College and Wayne County Community College District will be pipeline partners for REBUILD Detroit, expanding the pool of students in the program and co-developing and implementing support programs that enable students to learn coursework necessary to enter research careers, in addition to participating in research and mentoring activities.

“Since the curricular design will impact all undergraduate students enrolled in biomedical science courses, we’re confident REBUILD Detroit will have a halo effect on far more students than those participating in the program,” said Marygrove President Dr. David J. Fike. “History has shown addressing challenges that disproportionately affect minority populations often have a transformative impact on the majority as well.”

WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery added, “The elements of REBUILD Detroit correlate strongly with retention of science majors for both underrepresented and non-underrepresented minority populations. It’s vital that students are aware of opportunities in the sciences as early as possible, and that we’re here to support them and ensure that they succeed.”

Wayne State will serve as the research partner in the consortium. As such, it will mentor faculty from other institutions in research skills; provide research-training opportunities; and provide REBUILD scholars skills development in grant applications, graduate school preparedness, and networking opportunities. Prior to joining WSU, President M. Roy Wilson co-chaired the NIH Common Fund programs, which resulted in the development of the BUILD funding opportunity.

“There are compelling reasons to promote diversity in biomedical research,” said Wilson. “It’s clear that diversity is fundamental to innovation. A variety of perspectives are critical to solve sciences’ most complex problems, and the REBUILD Detroit project will train a more inclusive group of researchers and scientific leaders.” The principal investigators of the grant are Dr. Gary Kuleck, dean of the College of Engineering & Science, University of Detroit Mercy; Dr. Sally Welch, interim dean of New Program Development, Marygrove College; Dr. George Swan, III, vice-chancellor for External Affairs, Wayne County Community College District; and Dr. Ambika Mathur, dean of the Graduate School, Wayne State University.

At the conclusion of the BUILD projects, the NIH will disseminate successful approaches widely so that institutions beyond those directly supported by the program may adopt and implement the most effective strategies.

The National Institutes of Health grant number for this award is 1TL4MD009629-01.

About University of Detroit MercyUniversity of Detroit Mercy is Michigan’s largest, private Catholic University with more than 100 academic majors and programs. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy, the University has three campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit.

UDM is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest of 17 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States. For the 14th consecutive year, University of Detroit Mercy is listed in the top tier of Midwest universities in the 2015 edition of the U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges.

"About Marygrove CollegeFounded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in 1905, Marygrove College is an independent liberal arts college and a Catholic institution of higher learning. The College’s commitment to the city of Detroit comprises an institutional mission and vision for developing urban leaders. The main campus is situated on 53 wooded acres in northwest Detroit.

About Wayne State UniversityWayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.

About Wayne County Community College DistrictWCCCD, the largest urban community college in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with five campus locations, the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center and the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), serving nearly 80,000 students annually across 32 cities and townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to the continued development of new programs, workforce transformation, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services. www.wcccd.edu.

Media Contacts:University of Detroit Mercy: Gary Lichtman, 313-993-1254, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Marygrove College: Karen Cameron, 313-927-1446, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Wayne County Community College District, George Swan III, 313-496-2510 , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Wayne State University, Matt Lockwood, 313-577-9098, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Website: www.rebuildetroit.org

The Marygrove College Distinguished Alumni Awards were established in 2002 to recognize and honor alumni of distinction. These awards celebrate Marygrove’s ideals of competence, commitment and compassion, with a separate honor going to the Distinguished Alumna of Tomorrow, which acknowledges a Marygrove junior or senior with high academic achievement, and who embodies these ideals.

This year marks the 13th Anniversary of the Distinguished Alumni Awards which will honor this year’s winners at a ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, in the Marygrove College Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

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ABOUT MARYGROVE COLLEGE

Founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in 1905, Marygrove College is an independent liberal arts college and a Catholic institution of higher learning committed to developing leaders for the new global society. The main campus is situated on 53 wooded acres in northwest Detroit.

The Fellowships, funded by The Kresge Foundation and each consisting of a $25,000 prize and professional practice opportunities, are awarded annually to metropolitan Detroit artists for their exceptional commitment to artistic achievement and strong contributions to their respective communities.

To be awarded a Kresge Fellowship and acknowledged by a panel of such extraordinary talent is a high honor that is not lost on Tracy. “To be recognized by your peers is a great moment in one's life—but to be recognized by such accomplished artists is even more rewarding,” she said.

This year’s panelists—including Grammy Award-nominated composer Carl Craig and Academy Award-winning director and producer Sue Marx—noted the difficulty they faced in selecting 18 Fellows from among hundreds of extraordinary applicants in Dance/Music and Film/Theatre. The distinguished panelists for both categories commented repeatedly on the scale, scope and caliber of creative work represented in the applications.

This is the first time Tracy has applied for a Kresge Fellowship, but her oeuvre speaks for itself. In addition to producing and choreographing a sold-out performance of Intersections at the Rabbit Hole in Detroit, she has been the rehearsal director for works choreographed by Peter Sparling and Artistic Director of Peter Sparling Dance Company, amongst others. She has also choreographed works for Illinois Ballet Theater, the University of Michigan’s Department of Dance, Noretta Dunworth School of Dance, The Academy Dance Alliance, and Dance Masters of Michigan. Tracy holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Marygrove College and an M.F.A. in Choreography from the University of Michigan.

Although Fellowship recipients were just announced, Tracy already has extensive plans for how she will use her Fellowship to impact the community. “I am planning on collaborating with other dance artists and musicians and will have several new performances in the city of Detroit throughout the next year.”

Dr. David Fike joined Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at an April 9th press conference to unveil a neighborhood rebuilding program. The first phase of this effort will target blight in the neighborhood near the Marygrove College campus. Last December, the College hosted a federal task force on blight, which recently completed a survey of blighted and abandoned homes and buildings in Detroit.

The Great Depression was a trying time for an entire nation, and Marygrove College was no exception. Having leveraged an enormous debt for the construction of the campus in 1927, the administration led by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) was feeling the pressure to deliver on the promises it had made to its congregation and student community. The IHM order had offered up its very best teaching talent, working tirelessly to implement the highest quality programs for women to be found anywhere at the college and university level. Consequently, the lack of finances and general hard times did not stop students from enrolling in record numbers.

“Marygrove was the place to be,” said Marie Ankley Drouillard, ’34, and at 101 years, the oldest known living alumna of Marygrove College. “The reputation of the IHMs and the schools they opened and supported were well known.”

Marie Ankley was only seven years old when both of her parents were taken from her by the flu epidemic of 1918-20. Her heartbreak on a Michigan farm 10 miles north of Imlay City presented many challenges early on; challenges that would not get the best of her, through the help of key mentors in her life.

“The Depression was tough, but it’s not like we all sat around and said, ‘Oh, what a terrible Depression we’re having,’” Marie says, with a refreshing sarcastic wit. “We just made do; we were all in the same boat.” She endured a cruel upbringing at the hands of her mother’s sister, who beat her “while no one was looking” for bringing pork chops back from the butcher with too much fat on them. She summed up her childhood as performing endless household chores while her cousin menacingly practiced piano scales over and over again. When she graduated high school early at age 16, she was abruptly asked to leave and find work. “As a child, I was just glad to have a roof over my head,” Marie remembers. “But when I had to go off on my own, I felt relieved.”